成年鲸鲨死在海滩，死因成谜！
A 21-foot-long adult whale shark was washed up on Sanibel Island. Biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission were on their way to where the body was rolling in the surf to collect samples. "I'm sure they were going to try to determine a cause of death," said Brian Norris, an FWC spokesman. The shark’s cause of death was not immediately known, but Shell Museum biologist Rebecca Mensch said the shark showed no signs of decay and likely died on Saturday night or Sunday morning.
The shore where the shark was found is filled with dead fish as well, causing many to believe that red tide may have been the cause of the animal's death. A red tide releases toxic chemicals that kill marine organisms and can turn the water red. A tissue sample test that can take anywhere from days to weeks to provide results might give the biologists answers as to whether red tide affected the shark, she said.
The shark drew a crowd of dozens of beachgoers, many of whom were snapping pictures and taking video, admiring the giant animal. "You’ve been to like aquariums and stuff and you’re like ‘This is the wildlife’, but seeing it up close and in nature it’s shocking," said Lily Miller, a 16-year-old from Cleveland, Ohio, who was visiting Sanibel for the first time with her family. "Especially seeing a huge dead shark. It breaks my heart and it’s not something you ever expect to see."
While whale sharks aren't something you might expect to see on Southwest Florida beaches, they are actually quite common on the other side of the coast, near Mexico. Mensch added that it's hard to tell where the shark was and when it was last healthy, because strong currents and wind could have carried it to Sanibel's shore. The plan is to let the shark decay naturally in the Gulf, Mensch said, warning beachgoers to stay away from the animals.
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1.Why did the biologists go to Sanibel Island?
A They would roll the body away.
B They would save the whale shark.
C They tried to know why it died.
D They wanted to learn to surf fast.
解析：选C。细节理解题。根据第一段第三句的I'm sure they were going to try to determine a cause of death可知他们去萨尼伯尔岛是想知道这条鲸鲨的死因。故选C。
2.Which of the following helped the biologist guess the time of the shark’s death?
A It stayed in the same place.
B It hadn’t any signs of decay.
C It just had finished resting.
D It was once caught before.
解析：选B。细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句Rebecca Mensch said the shark showed no signs of decay and likely died on Saturday night or Sunday morning可知生物学家是根据鲸鲨身上没有腐烂的痕迹来推断鲸鲨的死亡时间的。故选B。
3.What made Lily feel heart-broken?
A She liked aquariums and stuff.
B She didn’t take enough pictures.
C She hadn’t been to the aquariums.
D She saw the huge dead shark.
解析：选D。细节理解题。根据第三段的最后一句，Especially seeing a huge dead shark. It breaks my heart ...可知莉莉在亲眼看到巨大的死鲨时，感到心碎。故选D。
4.What will people do with the shark?
A They will sell it to the aquarium as a sample.
B They will send it back to Southwest Florida.
C They will use it as a warning for beachgoers.
D They will get the shark to swim naturally.
解析：选C。细节理解题。根据第四段最后一句The plan is to let the shark decay naturally in the Gulf, Mensch said, warning beachgoers to stay away from the animals可知生物学家想让鲸鲨自然腐烂，以此警示去海滩上的人远离动物。故选C。